Nottingham Forest to welcome back midfield star

Algeria came into the 2013 African Cup of Nations ranked 2nd and were picked by many to win the tournament for the second time in their history. However, they are heading home after two disappointing losses to Togo and Tunisia, meaning there is nothing riding on their final Group D game against pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast.

Nottingham Forest’s Adlène Guedioura is one of the key players for Algeria, with this being his first African Cup of Nations. Forest will be desperate for their 27-year-old midfielder to return after losing 3-0 to Watford last weekend. His physical presence and long-range shooting were greatly missed.

Guedioura has scored three times in 20 appearances for Nottingham Forest this season. The tough-tacking midfielder adds size to a team that often looks unbalanced without him. Forest boss Alex McLeish is keen to add depth to his thin squad, so the return of Guedioura will be a welcome sight.

Guedioura will be returning to the red of Forest after wearing the white of Algeria. The graphic was designed by CAN artist Zineb Sedira. Speaking about her concept and inspiration, Zineb commented: “For this project I decided to use Islamic geometrical patterns often found in religious buildings and in houses in Algeria.

“The green is the colour of Algeria and Islam so it made sense to use it for the patterns. The patterns often used on ceramic tiles (on floors or walls) are converted onto fabric by using digital technology. The dynamism and movement of the players together with the static traditional motifs brings life to the design.”